Job Purpose
The People Operations Senior Officer supports end-to-end People & Culture operations for the UAE employee population, with a strong focus on retail and frontline employees. The role manages day-to-day employee lifecycle activities, frontline recruitment, payroll preparation and validation, employee relations, and HR data accuracy, while acting as a key People & Culture contact for employees and managers.
Key Responsibilities
People Operations & Employee Lifecycle
- Manage day-to-day People & Culture operations across the employee lifecycle, from onboarding through offboarding.
- Maintain accurate employee records, HR master data, documentation, and digital personnel files.
- Track probation periods, contract updates, document expiries, leave records, and other employee lifecycle requirements.
- Coordinate onboarding and offboarding activities to ensure a smooth and timely employee experience.
- Act as a key People & Culture point of contact for employees and managers, providing guidance on HR processes and policies.
- Conduct regular store visits and provide hands-on HR support to frontline employees and store management.
Recruitment & Workforce Support
- Manage end-to-end recruitment for retail and frontline positions, including high-volume hiring requirements.
- Source, screen, interview, and assess candidates based on role requirements, sales capability, communication, presentation, and customer orientation.
- Partner with store and business managers to understand hiring needs and ensure timely recruitment.
- Maintain recruitment trackers and ensure consistent follow-up throughout the hiring process.
- Support workforce requirements and employee movements across stores as needed.
Payroll & HR Data Management
- Prepare and validate monthly payroll inputs, including attendance, leave, salary changes, allowances, deductions, and other payroll-related information.
- Review salary prorations, leave calculations, and final settlements to ensure accuracy.
- Reconcile employee and payroll data and identify discrepancies before payroll processing.
- Maintain accurate HR master data to support payroll, reporting, compliance, and HR systems.
- Prepare regular HR reports and employee data analysis as required.
Employee Relations & Engagement
- Handle day-to-day employee concerns and employee relations cases in a professional and objective manner.
- Gather facts, maintain appropriate documentation, and support investigations when required.
- Identify matters requiring escalation and coordinate with People & Culture management on sensitive or complex cases.
- Support managers in addressing employee concerns and maintaining a positive working environment.
- Assist with employee engagement and culture initiatives across the retail population.
HR Systems & Digitalisation
- Support the use, implementation, and continuous improvement of HRIS and other People & Culture systems.
- Participate in system testing, data validation, and HR workflow testing when required.
- Support the transition from manual trackers and processes toward structured HR systems and automation.
- Maintain high standards of data accuracy and confidentiality across HR systems and records.
Qualifications & Experience
- Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.
- 4–6 years of experience in HR / People Operations, preferably within retail, hospitality, beauty, fragrance, fashion, FMCG, or another frontline environment.
- Hands-on experience in retail/frontline recruitment, payroll preparation, employee lifecycle management, and employee relations.
- UAE HR experience is strongly preferred; GCC exposure is an advantage.
- Strong proficiency in MS Excel and familiarity with HRIS / ATS systems.
- Strong communication, organizational, problem-solving, and data management skills.
- English proficiency is required; Arabic is strongly preferred.
